Turk in Training
by QueenAlla
Summary: Life as a Turk is hard. Life as a Turk in training is harder. Set in the FF7 timeline. T for minor swearing.
1. Hello

I've been thinking about writing this fanfic for almost a month now, and I've finally decided that I think it's worth writing.

I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters, Squaresoft/Square-Enix does. I don't even own the plot outline-I'm basing this fanfic as the Turks-or more specifically, Elena's version of the FFVII storyline, and then adding a nice dose of Relena-ness to it :)

Enjoy! ^^

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Monday. The day Elena had been dreading for weeks. Monday was the day she was going to be introduced to Reno of the Turks, the man she had filled in for when he became injured by Avalanche. She had heard many stories about the 'Redheaded Turk', as people so kindly said it. He was sharp witted, cunning, arrogant, and worst of all, a flirt.

Though Elena got the feeling he wasn't going to be doing any flirting with her. In fact, she would have been surprised if he didn't hate her guts. A female rookie, filling in for _him_. Of all people.

Life as a Turk was about to get a hell of a lot harder-that she knew for sure. But she wouldn't let herself fall prey to the caniving jaws of Reno. Not on her life. No, she would prove her worth as a Turk to this man-he would soon accept her for who she was.

Yet she couldn't muster up the courage to knock on Tseng's office door. Thoughts, _worries,_ kept encircling her restless mind, and each time she attempted to knock on that door, something faltered inside.

"Elena, come in."

Seemed like she had been saved by Tseng. She was growing rather fond of her boss, actually, though she couldn't place _why_ on her life.

Elena swallowed her nerves down, silencing herself, before opening the door and entering the room in a manner that made her appear snobbish.

To her surprise, she didn't catch sight of any signs of red at all. She was alone in Tseng's office with...Tseng.

"Sir...?" The simple statement was enough to start up the raven-haired man, who was straightening his tie and clearing his throat.

"Tseng." He was surprisingly picky when it came to titles, and Elena had been having trouble remembering that little fact. "The first thing you should know about Reno is that he is always late. If he's ever early, you make sure to tell me, alright?"

It seemed a bit of an over-the-top thing to say, but Elena knew better than to argue with a superior. And she was becoming too curious as to what this 'Reno' was like to even bother questioning him.

"Yes Si-Tseng." Unfortunately, her reply came out as a mere squeak-a sound she was glad Reno wasn't there to hear. Instinctively, to stop it from reoccouring, she cleared her throat, but the reaction ending in a chesty sounding cough that only embarrassed her further.

"Take a seat." Tseng finally offered, motioning towards the chairs that faced his desk, and after watching her stand awkwardly in one place for the past minute.

It was an offer that she took without hesitation, though as soon as she did so, the office door burst open in unison.

"Where's the Rookie?"

Elena turned 'round to observe the face she would soon grow to know. His was a strikingly handsome face, with mischevious aquamarine eyes that glinted knowledgibly at her own. His carefree smirk was framed by two crescent moon tattoos and a small scratch, camouflaged beneath his shock of fiery red hair that trailed down his back in a ponytail. By the slightly exhausted look on his face and the scratches and bruises evident on his face, she could tell that he had been healing well from his injuries.

Reno was really a sight to behold. Elena had never seen anyone so...unique.

Reno scowled then. It wasn't anywhere near as satisfying as his smirk, although neither of them comforted her in the slightest. He looked both furious and disgusted.

"That's the Rookie? Shit Tseng, I know you said you got a female, but you didn't mention the word _girl_. She's...puny! Looks more like a florist than a Turk. Heh, I bet she couldn't strike up the guts to kill a fly!" His scowl morphed into a grin, though it didn't make the slightest difference to Elena. "How pathetic."

Elena might have been nervous, jittery and quiet a few moments ago, but she could never stand for someone saying such things about her. You could call her a feminist, in fact.

Faster than a stroke of lighting, she stood up and grasped Reno's uninjured wrist, twisting it so that his entire hand was paralysed. "Was my sister as pathetic as me?" She spat, her chocolate brown eyes darkening into a mask of rage.

For a brief moment, Elena thought she witnessed Reno wince. Though just as she thought she was on top, her arm became forced around her back, making her instinctively want to let out a gasp of pain. She held it in, to her relief, but she couldn't ignore the sharp shooting pain that was flowing through her body.

"Your sister," Reno murmured into her ear, "Was a Turk. You are..."

"A Turk in training." Tseng was her lifesaver. She really didn't know how she'd cope without him. "Reno, release her. She's learnt her lesson, correct?"

The fire that burnt in Elena's heart was too fierce to be put out. She wouldn't-_couldn't_ let it overrun her body, but she couldn't extinguish it, either. Not yet.

The glare she burnt into Reno's endless blue ones were full of pure hatred, and a silent promise that she would make him pay for what he had said, some way or another.

"Correct." She replied, not releasing her glare until Reno's lanky body became seated next to her.

Elena hated this guy already, and she was certain he shared those feelings. Life as a Turk was going to be tough with him around.

"Elena." Tseng began, glancing sternly at the woman as if to express the serious of the situation. "I have arranged a schedule that you are to use in your training. I have placed it on your office desk, though I will briefly explain. As Reno is your most experienced and unoccupied superior, he will be your personal trainer every Monday and Friday until he considers you a professional Turk. This will include gym, shooting, and self-defence lessons for both of these days, which will make up a total of 3 hours each day from 3pm until 6pm. Unless of course, Reno sees it fit that you require an extra hour or two of training each day. Is that clear?"

Life as a Turk just got a hell of a lot tougher.

Resisting the urge to smack her head against the desk, Elena gave a slow nod in reply. The loathe was blatantly evident on her face, however, and Reno couldn't help but sneer at her.

She gave a huff, but didn't deny him an answer."Clear as crystal, Sir."

"_Tseng_." He corrected her yet again.

"Rookie, let's get one thing straight." Reno followed up, shuffling deep into his chair as if in preparation of a long and important conversation. "Tseng wants you calling him by his first name, but I on the other hand, don't accept that from a _Rookie_. You gotta earn the right. So you call me 'Sir', 'kay, Rookie?"

Elena felt sick rather suddenly, as she realised the name 'Rookie' would be coming up a lot from now on. And she couldn't stand names that made her feel inexperienced-even if she was.

"Yes Sir, though I'll have to insist that you call me by my proper name. That's Elena, just to let you know."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! You've just earned yourself a big talking to from the bastard now, idiot._ Elena realised the moment the words came out, and she cursed herself in every word of every language she could think of.

Reno looked at her in a patronising way, though she could see it in his eyes that he was surprised with how outright she had sounded.

"That's another thing you gotta earn, Rookie. And if I were you, I'd shut your mouth. Unless you're a fan of sit-ups, 'course."

Reno's threat shut her up instantly. She knew this guy had complete power over her position as a Turk. Now she _really_ regretted talking smart-ass to him. Things were gonna get lengthy in the gym room this afternoon.

"Yes Sir." Elena replied, all hints of pretentiousness gone. She wouldn't let herself stuff up any more than she already had, nor would she let herself appear any more of a fool.

Reno rewarded her with a proud and patronising smirk. "That'a girl. Now run along and go do the stack of paperwork I put on your desk."

He was talking to her like one would to a pet dog, and she hated it.

"Yes Sir..." Elena sighed, leaving the office as silently as a mouse. A mouse was what she felt like. Small, annoying, weak and insignificant.

And it was all thanks to Reno. Ten minutes and she felt like she already knew every inch of the guy. So predictable.

Or so she thought.

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"She's got one hell of a temper, Tseng." Reno commented, leaning back in his swivelling chair. "Why'd ya choose her?"

The raven haired Wutian scrunched up a piece of scribbled paper and sighed heavily. "I've seen her many times before-she is a very capable woman. Gun even suggested her to me, a fair while back. And her temper...It could prove to be useful, if she can learn who to direct it to. It's a very good quality to have for interrogations. The fact that you share it too, however, isn't exactly perfect...although I'm sure you'll both learn to get over it."

The two of them chuckled, though it was mostly to break the tension, and then sat without a word in companiable silence for the next few moments.

There was a lot of work to be done, and in little time. The Turks and Scarlet were heading to Gonanga the following morning, and Reno wanted to make sure Elena was ready for anything.

"Reno," Tseng added, in a tone that seemed almost sheepish, "I'd like you to call Elena by her first name, if you don't mind."

Reno smiled, soft enough for it to go unnoticed. Tseng had just implied a lot more than that.

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Thanks for taking the time to read :)

I'll be very grateful for any reviews you would like to give me, simple or detailed, so that I can be sure this is worth continuing.


	2. Delivery

I managed to write an extra long chapter this time! ^^ Hope you enjoy it!

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Elena hadn't expected Reno to lie, and he hadn't let her down in that department as of yet. There was, as promised, a large stack of paperwork piled up on her unusually messy desk.

_Funny, I don't remember leaving that there..._ Elena thought as she came across a broken pencil on the floor.

The pencil wasn't the only thing she found out of place, however. There was a note on her desk, written in pen and with terrible handwriting. She took the note cautiously and sat down at her desk, only then realising that Rude wasn't in the room. He was probably out organising the helicopter for tomorrows flight to Gonanga.

_Gym room. Now. Outift's on the third shelf. We're gettin' some practice in early. It looks like you need it._

She didn't bother trying to work out whether or not Reno was even allowed to do that, and instead tried to look for this 'third shelf'. She was unsure if he'd meant in the office or the gym, so she decided to start where she was. The only shelves she saw was a bookshelf, a filing cabinet, and a trophy shelf. So obviously he had meant the gym.

_The gym...Which level was that, again? _Now Elena really wished Rude were here. _63...65...68?_

Grimacing, Elena grabbed a piece of chewing gum from her desk and headed for the elevators. Located just outside their office, the elevators were newly built and the latest in Shinra technology. She pressed the up button and waited, twiddling her fingers and chewing loudly on her gum-a clear sign that she was nervous.

And it didn't help her nerves when the elevator opened to reveal Rufus Shinra. The doors weren't the only thing that opened-she had to remember to close her mouth because of the unforgiving sight of green gum that was practically waving hello to her boss.

"Well, are you coming, Elena?" Rufus asked politely, a twinge of a smirk playing upon his lips.

Elena swallowed hard and entered the elevator, only able to nod in reply. She stood next to the stoic form of her blonde boss, who's hands were clasped neatly together at his front, making her feel like a dag. Especially in his miraculously pristine-white suit. It was as if he was _trying_ to put her down.

"Sir, why are you heading up here?" She had to ask something-even if she didn't want the words to come out.

The smirk tugged further at his lips. "My office is up here, if you'll recall."

Elena didn't blink, breathe, or blush. She just stared, too dumbfounded by her own stupidity to dare do anything.

"And where are you headed, Hojo's lab?" Elena had never seen Rufus smirk, and this was a real treat. Well, it would have been, if under better circumstances.

"No Sir, the recreational-" She began, only to be hushed by Rufus' finger, in unison with the doors closing.

"I believe that if you started at floor 66, you would be needing the elevator that goes _down_. That is at floor 64." He did something unusual then, and even in the few short days Elena had known him, she was surprised. He chuckled.

And then pressed the button for her.

"Oh." She managed to squeak. She wouldn't have minded if Reno punished her this afternoon-in her opinion, she deserved it.

The elevator came to a swift and smooth halt, and Rufus seemed to sweep out of it like royalty. He wasn't far off, though, being the most powerful leader in Midgar, and he definitely looked the part.

Before she could cast a second glance, the doors closed, and Elena was alone once again.

The descent to level 64 seemed to last a lifetime. She was dreading meeting up with Reno again, and the thoughts of what her outfit would look like, once small, were now overflowing her mind. If it was a skirt, short-shorts, and/or a singlet, she would protest to the death. Anything shorter than knee high would be unacceptable in her books.

After the inward chat she had to herself, she felt a lot more confident, and it showed in her movement as she walked out of the elevator. She strided down the hallway, not having a clue where she was going, and looking out for any useful signs or employees.

She managed to find one. A woman, about the same age as herself, looked rather friendly. She was listening to some form of portable music player, softly nodding along. Hopefully she didn't disturb her.

"Excuse me?" Elena croaked, cursing herself for always sounding so pathetic. Maybe Reno was right.

The woman looked up and took the headphones from her ears, smiling. "Can I help you?"

Elena hoped her relief didn't show too much. "Ah, yes, I was wondering if you could direct me to the gym and the change-rooms, please?"

She giggled. "Don't sound so uptight. This isn't Soldier. The gym is just through those doors," She pointed to a set of doors a few metres away from them. "And the changerooms are just up the hallway and to the left."

Elena nodded, thankful that someone here was reliable. "Thanks."

"Oh here," The woman added before Elena could leave. "Take it-just a spare. And the name's Jennifer, aka Jen. I work with Reeve Tuesti."

"I know the one." Elena replied, catching the thin silver band that was thrown at her. It looked expensive-or rare, at the least. "Thanks, Jen!"

"No probs, 'Elena of the Turks'." Jennifer called after her.

She realised how good it felt to be called that, even if she wasn't a complete Turk yet. It made her feel like she had a place, a purpose-something she hadn't felt in years. A surge of confidence swept over her, forming a new layer over the old one. At this moment, she felt like she could handle Reno with no trouble.

The changing room was empty, and Elena hoped the gym was too. With Reno training her, she didn't want to look weak in front of any onlookers-knowing him, he would train her until she was crying for home.

As Reno had said in the note, there was a cupboard with four shelves in it-and on the third shelf was a neatly folded uniform-black, of course. To her relief, the outfit wasn't nearly revealing at all-probably not allowed, anyway. It consisted of a pair of three-quarter length black shorts, a tight black shirt with almost non-existant sleeves, a pair of white ankle socks, and two sweatbands. The only problem was...she had no joggers. Was she expected to supply her own?

Elena turned around to observe the changing room. At the end of the corridor, next to the last shower cubicle, was a long set of small wooden cubes that contained several pairs of shoes next to name tags. Obviously there were at least three other people in the gym, as there were three pairs of work shoes set in the cubes.

She supposed she had her own cube, and in her search, she found one at the very end. To her surprise, a pair of brand new joggers waited inside-white with black shocks at the bottom. They looked expensive-much more than she would have paid for a pair. They made hers look like something out of a $2 shop.

When Elena was half-dressed, someone began to hammer at the door loudly, calling her name.

"Elena!"

Then she realised who it was. Reno. He sounded urgent, so she ran to the door and pulled it open, scowling when she saw the grin spread over his face.

"Didn't feel the need to put your shirt on?" Reno chuckled, scratching his head. His sleeve fell down slightly as he did so, revealing a long, deep scar that trailed down his wrist. Elena looked worried, until she registered his comment.

She felt her face turn to a shade of deep red, and she shut the door until it was open half an inch. "What do you want?"

"What do I _want_?" Reno remarked, and Elena got the feeling that he was stalling. "I want a lot of things. But I came here to let you know that Tseng wants us all to go on a delivery for him. Pretty shit, hey? I mean, we're Turks, not...Anyway, get your clothes on and meet me and Rude at the helicopter pad in five."

She was stunned. Reno was acting a lot more friendly towards her all of a sudden. Maybe Tseng said something.

She heard his footsteps fade away before she got the chance to speak another word-not that she needed to. She had a few questions to ask him, but she supposed they could wait.

With a droning sigh, Elena got redressed and placed her gym clothes away neatly, disappointed that she hadn't got the chance to try on her new joggers.

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The afternoon sun warmed the almost empty pad, save for the helicopter and a few small figures. There were little clouds in the sky, but it did nothing to lessen the howling winds Elena ran against, the pressure pushing her back. The weather was always strong up here, but today was especially forceful-and to make it worse, the winds were almost hot.

As Elena came closer to the helicopter, she could make out who each figure was-Reno, the one with the long hair that was waving madly in the wind, Rude, who's stoic and hairless form was next to a short, plump one that Elena couldn't identify. Tseng was facing them, of course. She knew his body language better than anyone else's.

As she approached the group, they turned to face her, faces stern and thoughtful. The short figure she had seen from afar was now recognisable. Cait Sith, sitting atop an obese white mog. Just its presence made Elena smile-it was very cute.

"Hi guys. Can anyone fill me in?" Elena asked, the question mostly aimed at Tseng.

And Tseng was the one who spoke up, of course. "You will be taking Cait Sith to the Gold Saucer via helicopter. Reno will be pilot and Cait Sith and yourself will be in the back. He will park the helicopter outside North Corel, and you will enter the Gold Saucer via the Ropeway. I have supplied Reno with the 3000 gil for the entrance ticket. As you should know, we will be using Cait Sith as a spy on Avalanche, and Reeve will be in control of it."

Elena had no clue as to any of this until now, though she dared not say anything about it. "Rude and yourself?"

"Organising tomorrows flight to Gongaga." Tseng replied, looking Elena straight in the eye. "You leave immediately, and come back as soon as Cait Sith is at the front gates. Is that clear?"

Elena nodded. "That's clear, Sir. I mean, Tseng-"

Before she could finish correcting herself, everyone had already left her. She hoped she didn't get on their nerves too much.

"Get in!" Reno yelled as he slammed his door.

Elena followed Cait Sith into the back and closed the sliding door. She sat down and tightened both of their seatbelts, relieved that she didn't have to sit next to Reno, but annoyed at the same time. Why did two Turks have to come on the mission? Reno was capable, wasn't he?

She remembered the scar she had seen on his wrist and took back the thought. If he got anymore wounds, Elena would blame herself for it. Not that she could imagine anyone attacking them at the Gold Saucer.

The starting of the engine broke Elena's train of thought, and quickly following came the forceful feeling of gravity shifting. She had always been a victim of travel sickness, though thankfully it was never anything too dramatic. Slight queasiness was the worst she experienced.

Cait Sith seemed to sense it somewhat. "Not a flyer, are we Elena?"

Elena looked sideways at him, her hands grasped tightly in her lap. Travel sickness wasn't her fear, it was the thought of being in the air that made her nervous the most. Thankfully, each time she entered the helicopter, it became easier. In fact, being in the air brought a sense of wonder and excitement to her. She'd never flown, until she'd became a Turk, so everything was fairly new to her.

"It's not my area of expertee." Elena answered grimly.

Cait Sith chuckled, patting his giant mog on the fluffy white head. "Not mine, neither."

Elena smiled. Cait Sith had an interesting accent that she found almost humorous-and she hoped Cloud found it annoying.

Boredom taking over already, Elena peered out the tinted window and gawked. She'd seen it before, but the sight was incredible. The Midgar she'd always found enormous was now the size of a hand mirror. It was black-like the soil and the sky that surrounded it. Midgar was so different from up in the limitless sky.

Within half an hour, they reached the sea-a pristine blue that glistened in the sunlight. The ripples of the waves were too far away to notice their movement, but they were clear all the same.

An hour later, mountains entered their view, hundreds of them. Elena felt like a child when she wondered if anyone had climbed them all. She used to dream of climbing a mountain, when she was younger. She'd only ever considered being a Turk when her sister came home every few nights, wearing her black suit and twirling a pistol in her hand. She'd looked up to her, and with no regrets.

Gravity seemed to warp as Elena felt the helicopter jolt suddenly. Cait Sith seemed unaffected, though she heard Reno say a swift curse from the next room.

"Reno? Is everything okay?" She asked, panic filling her body.

"What do ya mean by everything?" Reno replied, the mashing of buttons sounding from inside.

"Reno!" Elena shrieked, almost bursting out of her seat. Cait Sith attempted to hold her down.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm sure it's all under control." The creature said in a soothing tone. It sounded like he was trying to comfort himself more than anything, which didn't make much sense considering he was a robot.

"It's all good." Reno added. "It's just gonna be a bit of a bumpy landing."

A bumpy landing it was. Elena felt the helicopter swerve, and soon after, they hit the ground with a large thud. She was sure she felt the ground shake beneath her feet.

"Goddamnit!!" Reno yelled, opening his door and slamming it with strong force. More swearing followed.

Elena swallowed her nerves and slowly released her seatbelt. Smoke billowed outside the window, and she knew without a doubt that damage had come to the helicopter.

Petrol fumes filled her lungs as she opened the door. She ran around the helicopter in amidst a coughing fit, and realised how dizzy she was feeling.

"Wh-what's happened?" She asked Reno.

The frazzled redhead wore a frown of concentration on his charming face. He scowled as a tube fell from the bottom of the vehicle, and kicked it when another followed.

"Stupid friggin' piece of STUPID SHIT!!!"

Elena backed away cautiously as her colleague began to aimlessly attack the helicopter. He obviously had an anger problem.

Suddenly, a huge burst of sound entered Elena's ears. Cait Sith had just yelled into his megaphone, right next to Reno's head.

"GET A GRIP OF YOURSELF, LASS!"

Reno fell to the ground in shock, his eyes wide with horror. Elena burst into laughter until the fumes made her cough. Seeing the hotshot so frightened was a once in a lifetime experience that she would never forget. Hopefully.

She offered a hand to the fallen Turk, but he swatted it away and stood himself up, brushing away the excess dirt on his clothes.

"My bad, heh." Reno blushed, but made sure to regain his reputation by leading the way to the small town of North Corel. It was a beatup, dirty little town that Reno had always seemed to despise.

"Retarded hellhole...C'mon, the sooner we get outta this place the better."

Elena and Cait Sith looked at each other with a grin, following closely behind until they reached the Ropeway.

A small blue tram-like vehicle was held up by two firm ropes that lead through a long mountain range. A lone ticket-seller was situated nearby, reading a newspaper with Avalanche printed on the front.

_No big surprise there. Since when aren't Avalanche in the news? _Elena groaned inwardly.

Reno collected their tickets and lead them into the carriage, which took off moments later.

"The ticket dude seemed happy. Looked like he hadn't had a customer in a while." Reno commented after five minutes of awkward silence. It did nothing to ease the awkwardness. If anything, it made it worse.

"Hm." Elena mumbled in reply.

Thankfully, they arrived a few minutes later, when a bright light entered their line of sight. Elena had only ever been to the Gold Saucer once, as a child. She had hoped to visit again someday, but she never would have thought that the next time she came would be on a mission as a Turk.

As Cait Sith prepared to leave the carriage, Reno handed him the large sum of Gil. "Use it well." He murmured, placing the Gil in the mog's large paws.

Elena smirked, trying not to giggle at Reno's lame attempt at a joke. "See ya Cait Sith. And good luck-you'll need it, being stuck with those losers."

Cait Sith saluted the two Turks from outside the Ropeway, giving them a last wave before watching them disappear into darkness.

It was then Elena began to dread being stuck alone in a carriage with Reno. They would have to wait at least an hour before anyone came to pick them up, and she knew Reno was feeling extra frustrated with the fact that he'd broken the helicopter.

"You alright, Reno?" Elena asked, waving a hand in front of his solemn face.

"Yeah." He answered, his gaze not moving in the slightest.

"The helic-"

"I know. I'm an idiot. I'm s'posed to be one of the best pilots in Shinra, and I go blow it up like that. I stuffed up. How can anyone trust me piloting again?" Reno huffed and kicked a loose stone on the ground. "Stupid non-existant cleaners..."

Elena felt a little awkward, but she pet him on the shoulder anyway. "Hey, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes every now and then. You just learn from them."

Reno sniggered at her. "Don't try to pep talk me. I know, okay?"

Elena didn't reply for a while. He was probably right. "Do you know what caused it?"

He finally turned to look at her through his curious aquamarine eyes. "Sorta. I think. Engine failure, if you like."

Something didn't seem right. Reno, a professional pilot, having something like that happen to him? Things like this could only be a set-up. Though she felt stupid saying something like that. She would wait and see what Tseng had to say about it.

"Have you called Tseng yet?" Elena asked casually.

"Damn." Reno muttered, taking out his phone and flipping it open. He dialled a number and held it to his ear.

"Reno speaking. I'll explain it later, but the 'copter broke down. Can you send Rude down to pick us up?"

Elena listened intently, but only because there was nothing better to do.

"He's _what_? That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Okay, fine. Yeah, whatever." He hung up.

Elena blinked questioningly.

"Rude's on break. Tseng's busy doing who-knows-what. Probably getting it on with Scarlet...Anyway, Reeve will meet us at the 'copter in an hour or two."

"What do we do 'till then?" Elena asked, grimacing at the thought of waiting with Reno for that long.

Reno grinned, rather sarcastically in her opinion. "Oh, don't worry about that. Tseng's got us all fixed up. He wants us to stock up on carbon bangles for tomorrow's Gongaga trip. Hell, as if we don't have enough already!"

Elena smiled to herself. Tseng was a great guy.

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Reeeview! xD Please?


	3. Fly

Hope you enjoy this rather short chapter, of which Reno continues his swearing spree! ^_^

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Carbon bangle shopping was tedious work, especially when Reno wouldn't stop complaining for a _second_ about North Corel. Too shabby, too cheap, too smelly, too pathetic, too...well, he would find any excuse to bag out the small town. And it had gotten on Elena's nerves.

Thankfully, they were finally finished, although Elena was left wishing Tseng had left her alone with Reno in their helicopter. She would have to remind herself to never accept a mission that involved both Reno and North Corel-it was a terrible combination.

Reno lay on his back with his head resting on his hands, chewing on a long blade of grass and whistling like a yokel.

Elena refused to sit on the ground-it was too 'feral', she had said. "Reno!"

"I think we're both forgetting something important...You keep calling me 'Reno', after I specifically told you to call me 'Sir'. Get the hint?" He remarked, pursing his lips and whistling again.

"Fine. Sir, please, would you stop whistling?" Elena hated having to call such an asshole by 'Sir', but she really did value her job.

Reno only whistled louder. She had to admit though, he was a pretty good whistler.

"Like you could do any better." He retorted, before continuing again. She scowled. She refused to be worse than him in the art of anything musical. She had been raised as a musician-there wasn't an instrument she couldn't play.

So she whistled. She whistled a slow, sweet melody that Reno found strangely familiar. It halted his own whistling, and when in comparison, he sounded nothing short of a dying pigeon.

"Son of a bitch, you aint half bad." He admitted, inwardly slapping himself after letting something so kind be said to her.

Elena felt her cheeks warm, and instinctively, she turned her face away from him. "Thanks."

An awkward silence grew between them, though Elena was thankful for the fact that Reno had finally shut up. If he'd spoken another word, she was sure she'd go mad.

"Hey-" Unless that one word had done such a thing, she was certain that there was a Shinra helicopter heading straight towards them.

Reno bolted upright and began to wave towards the object in the sky, and naturally, Elena copied his motions.

Less than a minute later, Reeve emerged from the helicopter, smiling warmly at the two Turks.

"You have the carbon bangles, I see." He looked straight at Elena, who as a result, went bright red.

"Yes Sir."

Reno nudged her. "Loosen up, he aint gonna bite ya."

"Yes Sir." She wasn't sure if she'd made a mistake, acting like a smart-ass. Thankfully, it made the two men smirk.

Reeve cleared his throat, making his rare smirk fade into non-existance. "I'll take a look at the helicopter to see if it is worth repairing."

Elena, not wanting to be stuck with Reno again, followed Reeve towards the broken vehicle. To her irritation, Reno followed close behind.

Reeve tutted to himself as he noticed the fallen parts on the ground, and sighed when he took a look underneath.

"It would cost more to fix than to make a complete new one. The engine is...well, there is no engine anymore." He admitted, grimacing when he saw a large leak spread across the grass. "I'm nothing close to an expert on these things, but I can see that...Reno, you're supposed to be talented at this sort of thing. What is your impression."

Reno trailed steadily around the helicopter, a frown creasing his forehead. "That's strange. It's gotten...worse. Like some sort of chemical's been eating away at it."

Elena had decided to stay on the sidelines this time. She had no clue about the mechanics of helicopters-or any machinery for that matter. Except bombs. She was an expert at that field of work.

"Can you tell what chemical?" She piped up suddenly.

Reno shot a silencing glare at her in return, but still answered her question. "Not for sure. I'll have to take a sample to the lab for testing."

They stared at each other after fully comprehending what he'd said.

"I mean, _you'll _have to." Reno had never been so tempted to call her "Rookie" than he had at that moment.

Reeve, sensing the edginess in the air, decided to fill his role. "Alright, I'll call this in for it to be trailed away for later use. Board my helicopter-I'll be in shortly."

Glaring at each other, the two Turks obeyed the older man and sat in the helicopter in silence, while Reeve contacted Shinra Headquarters for a removal of the broken helicopter.

Elena had been tempted to ask the inevitable for some time now, but she'd held back for fear of the answer being too obvious.

In the end, temptation got the better of her.

"I wonder how Reeve controls Cait Sith."

Reno didn't reply, instead continuing to stare out in front of him at no apparent object. And he wasn't wearing the thoughtful expression one wore whilst thinking, so Elena was certain he was doing it to piss her off.

"Sir?" She tried again.

"'Sup?"

_Smart-ass._

She sighed. "I said, _I wonder how Reeve controls Cait Sith_."

"That's nice."

Elena clenched her fists. She'd never met anyone that infuriated her more than this obnoxious redhead. "Well?"

"Well what?" He turned to her now, wearing a puzzled expression. "You made a statement, not a question. So I don't have to say anything."

She gave up then. Nothing came easy when dealing with Reno.

"Whatever."

He turned to face the front again, a wild smirk placed on his lips. "Suit yourself."

Elena found his smirk strange. It reminded her of someone, though she couldn't put a finger on who.

From out the door of the helicopter, Reeve showed his face-his grinning face, and broke her train of concentration. "There's this item called a remote control..."

With that, he slammed the door.

_____________________________

"Elena," Reno began as they exited the helicopter, "Go talk to the repairman dude over there and get him to give you a part covered in that shit. Then take it to Hojo for testing. Got it?"

Dropping delicately onto the cement floor below, Elena brushed herself off and nodded. "Alright. You'll take the bangles to Tseng then, Sir?"

But before Elena had finished her sentence, Reno was already walking away from her, Reeve following behind. Of course, it was only expected for the Rookie to get all the extra little chores.

_____________________________

Tseng, who was busily eating an egg sandwich, looked up at the figure who had just entered his office. Wiping the egg from his chin, he greeted him.

"Reno, how did it go?"

A pair of fierce hands slammed down on his desk, set below a pair of piercing aquamarine eyes that were glaring daggers at him.

"Can't stand the girl. I act remotely friendly, and suddenly, she acts like we're best friends that have known each other our whole lives! It's seriously fucked up, I swear. You gotta let me do my job, Tseng. I don't give a damn if you go around calling her 'honey', but I _refuse_ to be nice to her a minute longer!"

Tseng placed his sandwich on the desk and sighed heavily. "Reno, your feelings of hatred towards Elena must not affect her progress. If you act rudely towards her, she won't be able to handle the job. You two have to cooperate."

"What do I care if she gets fired for being shit at her job!" Reno snarled, shaking the desk in his rage. "She's useless!"

Tseng sighed again-it didn't look like he would be going back to eating his sandwich anytime soon.

"Alright then, Reno. After hours and during break, you can act however you want towards Elena. While we're working, you are required to be strictly professional towards her. Is that clear?"

Although it wasn't quite what he'd hoped for, Reno decided it was the best he would get out of him. "Does that include training sessions?" His anger was draining away by the second.

Tseng gave him one of his rare smirks, and his hands became clasped together rather villainously. "Of course not. I think she'll learn better that way anyway, don't you?"

Reno returned the smirk.

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Ohmygoshevilcackletime! xDD Reno and Tseng, partners in villainy. Is that even a word!???

Erm...Review 'cause you love me? :P


	4. Training

Hihi! I hope I didn't get Hojo OOC. Let me know if I did and I'll fix it ^_^

Enjoy!

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Despite wearing a glove, Elena still felt squirmy as she carried a helicopter part dripping in black, oily liquid to Hojo's Lab. She was worried that it would soak through the glove and onto her hand, but so far, nothing of the kind had happened.

The 68th floor brought back bad memories-memories that she couldn't forget. The first and only other time she'd visited the lab was when Hojo was experimenting on a creature he called "Red XIII". She hadn't thought wolves could show much emotion, but it was clear that Red XIII had. The look on the creature's face was one of desperation and fear, leaving Elena wishing she could do something to help the poor thing. After that experience, watching Hojo do all kinds of strange and inhumane things to the wolf-like animal, Elena had been dreading ever having to go back to the lab again. She didn't really have much choice, though.

So Elena was both relieved and nervous when she saw that the chamber in the center of the lab was empty. She hoped Hojo hadn't done anything to harm Red XIII.

As Elena entered the lab, the thin, raven haired scientist caught her eye. He looked as if he was made of pure evil by the way his steely eyes glinted off the reflection of hundreds of flashing buttons around them. Elena dreaded to think what each of them were capable of.

"What do you want?" The elderly man snapped at her. His voice was even more infuriating than his looks, which made Elena want to be sick. The man must have been exceptionally smart for Shinra to hire him-but then again, the company wasn't exactly known for the prettiest and sweetest workers in Midgar.

"Well? I do not have time for idle nothings!" Hojo waved a thin, bony hand in her direction and began to walk away.

Elena nearly tripped on a loose cable on the ground as she attempted to go after him. "Er, excuse me, Sir. I came on behalf of Tseng of the Turks, to deliver this...He would like you to find out what this black substance is, and how and if it could affect a helicopter's engine."

Hojo swiveled around, scowling at the pipe in her hand. "Do not hold your breath. I will alert Tseng once I am finished."

With that, he whisked the pipe from her grasp and walked away, leaving Elena to stare at his lanky back, irritated at his attitude.

"Thank you Sir."

If he heard her quiet mutter, he sure didn't acknowledge it.

___________________________

The clock ticked 4pm and Elena was already halfway through her stack of paperwork. It seemed as if she was the only Turk that had to stay back later to finish off work, despite Reno having done not even one sheet of his own. She hadn't seen him since the helicopter trip.

And then, of course, he just _happened _to show up.

"Rookie, get your ass up outta that chair and put it to work. We've got some catching up to do from earlier."

Elena was unsure as to what he was implying, until she finally remembered. Gym. "Wait a second, so now it's back to Rookie!? Sir, why!? Did I let you down somehow?"

Reno let out an overly dramatic sigh. "Have I ever told you you talk too much?"

"Y-"

"Don't backchat! Get the hell up before I kick you there!" His personality matched his hair unmistakably.

Elena, who now felt both useless and pathetic, gathered up her confused emotions and walked out the door, trying her best not to appear weak in any way.

She didn't feel very accomplished, though. Especially when Reno shoved her into the empty elevator, a satisfied smirk plastered all over his face.

One thing was for sure. It was the longest and most awkward elevator trip Elena had ever been in.

Reno didn't look too bothered, though, leaning lazily against the cold, hard wall and tapping his fingers against the railing.

"You know," Reno said suddenly, "I reckon Mr Pres and his Daddy have got a soft spot for blondies. Just look at Scarlet. That blonde bimbo doesn't know left from right, but _she_ still got the job. Just goes to show that all ya need these days are looks and you've scored."

Reno really knew how to make a woman mad.

She glared deep into the back of the man's thick skull, wishing that she would someday get the opportunity to give him what he deserved. "That would explain a lot, Sir." She hoped that her constant ending of sentences with 'Sir' got on his nerves.

He turned to her with a flick of his fiery red ponytail. A grin was forming on his lips. "You're sayin' I'm good looking, Rookie?"

She'd really done it now.

Elena turned away and glanced into her reflection on the wall, faking the act of tidying her hair.

"Who said I was talking about you, Sir?"

Reno took her hand and slammed it against the wall-just as the elevator door opened.

"Hey, what're you doing!?"

A tanned arm pulled Reno into a tight lock, tight enough for him to be unable to crane his neck in the direction of his captor.

"Jen, I-" He croaked.

"Reno! You're in _big_ trouble. If you were trying to hurt Elena, I'll make you hurt three times as bad. And if you were _cheating_ on me with Elena, you'll be wishing you were-" Jennifer, as Elena finally realised, must have been Reno's latest girlfriend. Not surprising, judging by the way he acted like king of the universe all the time.

When Reno released himself from Jen's grip and kissed her, Elena felt a chord twang inside of her. She mentally slapped herself ten times over to try and put the thoughts out of her mind, and when that didn't work, she pictured Tseng dancing naked. And then she had to try and clean _those_ dirty thoughts from her mind.

"Babe," Reno finally said after ending their kiss, "I'd never cheat on you. Especially not with _her_."

Elena felt like her gut had turned inside out. He really had no sense of respect at all.

Jen frowned and looked from Elena to Reno. "Reno, that's not a nice thing to say!" She whispered, obviously not realizing the fact that Elena could hear her quite clearly.

"Fine." Reno rolled his eyes. "I'd never cheat on you. Especially not with Elena. That better?"

Before Elena had the chance to take in another word, she quickly slipped out of the elevator and down the hallway to where she knew the change rooms were. She couldn't take another minute of the bastard, and the fact that she would be spending a long afternoon and evening with him didn't help calm her down at all.

________________________

Elena slammed the changeroom door shut in her rage, and only afterwards did she realise that she wasn't alone. There were eight other women getting dressed into their gym uniforms, chatting and laughing with each other.

It was then Elena realized how pathetic she seemed-having not a single friend that she trusted.

"Not that it matters." She mumbled, walking over to the shelf to collect her outfit.

She nearly had a heart attack when she unfolded her shorts-someone had cut a hole in the back.

Red-faced and filled with shame, Elena scanned the room for any signs of suspicious people, but of course found none. The women looked like giggling schoolgirls, and considering that, any one of them could have been the culprit.

Unfortunately, Elena wasn't wearing black underwear that day. It was as if the planet was against her-of all the days, she just happened to be wearing underwear with little yellow chocobos etched all over.

Humiliated, she got dressed and tucked her black singlet-shirt in as far as it could go. It reached-just, but she knew it wouldn't last long.

She was the first to walk out, and when she did, she heard snorts and giggles from behind her.

_If that's what the bitches are like, I'm _dreading _to hear what Reno's gonna say. _Elena thought, wishing to Odin, Shiva and Ifrit that they would spare her her modesty.

_________________________

It only got worse. It turned out that today; Reno was giving a special training session to ten Shinra employees-women only, of course, so Elena wasn't alone. And Jennifer was one of those ten women.

Jennifer was the closest thing she had to a friend-she'd never really spoken to anyone else, so she wasn't sure if the latter was a good or a bad thing. For all Elena knew, Jen could turn out to be the Slut of all sluts, or the Bitch of all bitches, and in that case, she would consider the _janitor_ a closer friend.

The other nine women stood in a line on a long, blue gym mat and began to stretch. Elena followed them, doing her own set of stretches that were both more effective and more impressive.

"Rookie, step into line!"

Heads turned to see Reno, who was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and matching shorts-identical to Elena's but different to everyone else's. Elena was proud to know that the Turks got their own gym uniform. Not that it was much of a surprise-the Turks stood out amongst all the other Shinra employees, with their dark blue suits and the shady atmosphere they brought.

Elena stopped her stretches and stood up straight, looking around to make sure she was actually standing in the line. Everyone had taken a step back. Was she really that unpopular? Was it the fact that she was a female Turk, the fact that she was blonde, or the fact that she was a newbie?

With a huff, she took a step back. She didn't go unnoticed.

"Rookie, get over here!" Reno shouted at the top of his voice.

Elena knew better than to do anything against what he said. If the situation got any worse, she'd snap.

The laughs and whispered bitching Elena heard as she stood next to her new trainer sent her into a state of silent embarrassment. She could feel her cheeks burning up to the point where she decided it was a new record. She'd never felt so shameful since the day she accidentally saw her childhood friend naked-and he was a guy.

"Yes, Sir?" Her reply came out as a squeak, which made the other women burst into laughter-except for Jen, thankfully.

"Shut up!" Reno snapped at the crowd. "Rookie, why the hell did ya start your stretches without me!? There's a reason a newbie is called a newbie, and you're about to find out."

Elena tried to keep her gaze set on the wall in front of her, desperately hoping it would make her appear more confident.

It didn't work.

"Fifty push-ups, on the ground, _NOW_!" Reno pushed her to the floor and held his foot up on her back like a stool.

Elena, for the first time in the past few hours, smirked. She could handle this without any trouble at all. Ever since she and her childhood friend got separated at the age of five, she swore to herself that she would train morning and night until she was fit enough to handle anything that got in the way of finding him. While she had basically given up on her search for him, the exercise she'd put in made her the quick, stable, and strong woman she was today.

Fifty push-ups later, the other nine women were staring in awe and jealousy at the fact that Elena was hardly puffed at all. Reno didn't look too upset, either.

"What next, Sir?" Elena asked with a hint of smug-ness in her voice.

Reno's forehead creased into a light line of defiance, and a grin tweaked at the corner of his lips, threatening to rise. "One-hundred squats. Facing me."

The women giggled and began their whisperings again. Elena felt like she was about to die, but she went ahead anyway. She had to prove she was better than they thought she was, even if it meant flashing her chocobo undies to the world.

Those squats were the longest squats she had ever done in her life-or at least, it felt like it. The women behind her were laughing so hard that they were having trouble breathing-even Jen.

"Wark wark!" One of the women teased, motioning the movements of an obese chocobo.

It had never been so hard to block the voices from her mind. Strangely enough, they drove her on, and made the challenge more worthwhile.

When she was finished, relief swamped her, and she let her head hit the ground. She smiled. She'd done it. She'd shown them all.

Even Reno looked proud.

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Was it alright? ^_^ Reeview? xDD


	5. Author's note feel free to kick me xD

'Ello fellow readers :3

I'm really sorry to say, but I don't think I'll be continuing this anymore :/ Who knows, maybe in the distant future...*gets shot* DD:

The reason is that it's almost been half a year since I've updated, and I just don't know how to continue. I can't find the information I need . Lazy bastard I am .

However, I will be writing a chaptered Relena called "It's Not Over", a fic that I'm enjoying writing and actually has a future. Chapter one is posted, if you're interested xD

So, I'm sorry again to all those who read this ;-; And I'm also sorry for if you were hoping for this to be an actual chapter...Ohmai D: SORRY!

In fact, I think these author's notes aren't allowed to be posted as full chapters. –cough- Well, FF can pull this story down for all I care ~_~

Bye for now~ 33

-QueenAlla


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